House robbers get 120 years behind bars

Outstanding investigation by Peter Makwela of the Mokopane Cluster Detectives Unit resulted in the sentencing of four robbers to a combined 120 years imprisonment by the Mokerong Regional Court last week.
David Shiburi (37), Frank Tshona Baloyi (45), Peter Thebe (39) and Brain Mashakoe (30) were sentenced on charges relating to two separate incidents of house robbery in Mokopane about two years ago.
Provincial Police Spokesperson Moatshe Ngpoepe indicated that on 17 March 2016 at about 07:15 a couple was at their house when a group of men arrived and requested the husband to sign some business documents for them. He agreed and took them to his office inside the house.
Once inside the four men became aggressive, produced firearms and demanded money. The victim refused to comply where after the criminals tortured him with a hot iron and threatened to kill his wife.
He subsequently transferred an amount of R1 million to the accounts of two business partners and his accountant and asked them to withdraw the money and bring it in cash to his house, as directed by the armed robbers.
The money was ldelivered by one of his employees. The criminals also robbed the couple of jewellery before fleeing the scene.
A similar incident occurred on 6 April 2019 at about 17:30 when a man, having arrived from work, was closing the gate to his yard in Mokopane Extension 12 when two men approached and produced firearms.
They forced him into his house and demanded money. He was also tortured with a hot iron while the suspects demanded the keys to the safe. They robbed a television set and music system before fleeing the scene in the victim’s car. Ngoepe indicated the vehicle was later found abandoned within the area.
Both cases were allocated to Makwela who thoroughly applied his investigation skills with the operational support from the Mokopane Cluster Crime Intelligence unit, Seshego Cluster Crime Intelligence Unit, Mahwelereng Cluster K9 Unit and Mahwelereng Cluster Detectives Unit who initiated several operations that subsequently lead to the arrest of the four suspects in Mokopane, Hammanskraal and Zebediela.
Shiburi, Baloyi, Thebe and Mashakoe were sentenced to 30 years imprisonment each.

Story: RC Myburgh
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